The present invention relates to a video signal receiving device for receiving TV broadcast electrical signals containing inhibition level data indicative of a level of unsuitability rating of a broadcasting program. More particularly, the invention relates to a program-viewing inhibition device for automatically changing the present program to another program when the present program is judged as unacceptable program by the inhibition level data.
A V-chip system has been proposed to inhibit specific viewers from viewing scenes of violence or sexual programs in various broadcasting systems of terrestrial broadcasting, cable television, satellite broadcasting or the like. In the V-chip system, the broadcasting side adds inhibition level data indicative of a level of unsuitability, rating of a broadcasting program (referred to simply as an inhibition level) to the video signal of each broadcasting program, while the receiving side may set an inhibition level acceptable for viewing programs in advance. Accordingly, the receiving side can watch only the received programs whose the inhibition level is lower than the preset one. Thus, where the V-chip system is employed, the television set, for example, cannot receive those programs whose the inhibition levels are higher than the preset one. In other words, the television programs may be selected in accordance with a situation where the television set is used.
A related receiver set used in the V-chip system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,584. In this receiving technique (first related art), when receiving a channel to be rejected in its viewing, the receiver blanks the image and sound to inhibit the viewer from watching the program of the received channel. Another related technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-125483A. In this technique (second related art), when receiving a channel to be rejected in its viewing or its program having an inhibition level over a preset one (this channel will be referred frequently to as an xe2x80x9cundesired or unacceptable channelxe2x80x9d), the receiver selects another channel not broadcasted, and presents a white noise screen, to thereby inhibit the viewer from watching the program of the undesired channel.
Those first and second related arts have the following problems to be solved, however. In the first related art, when the television program of the received channel is below an inhibition level preset in the television set, the screen of the television set is blanked and no voice/sound is generated. In the second related art, when the channel to be rejected in its viewing is received, the white noise screen is presented and the speaker generates noise sounds. When the viewer engages in cooking or telephoning, the following inexpedient situations occur. When a television program that has been watched ends, the next program automatically starts, and the next program is unacceptable program, the viewer temporarily stops the cooking or telephoning, and must change the undesired channel to another channel. This channel changing operations are troublesome for the viewer.
The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above. A first object of the present invention is to provide a program-viewing inhibition device capable of eliminating a manual channel changing operation when an undesired program having an inhibition level over a preset one is received.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a program-viewing inhibition device in which a reception of an acceptable program is ensured when an undesired program is received.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a program-viewing inhibition device in which a chance of selecting an acceptable program is lessened when an undesired program is received.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a program-viewing inhibition device capable of showing that a channel currently received is different from the designated one when a channel is changed to another channel for avoiding the reception of an undesired program.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a program-viewing inhibition device capable of eliminating an additional use of the display device for indicating a change of channel.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a program-viewing inhibition device in which an operation of returning the changed channel to the input channel is not required when a program of the input channel becomes an acceptable program.
A seventh object of the present invention is to provide a program-viewing inhibition device in which a viewer can judge whether the changed channel is returned to the input channel when a program of the input channel becomes an acceptable program.
In order to achieve the above objects, there is provided a program-viewing inhibition device comprising:
an input section for inputting data indicative of a channel to be received;
a receiving section for receiving a broadcast signal of a channel inputted by the input section and for converting the broadcast signal into a display signal, the broadcast signal including first inhibition level data indicative of a level of unsuitability rating of a program thereof;
level storage means for storing second inhibition level data indicative of a preset level of unsuitability rating of a program to be inhibited;
judgement means for judging whether the inhibition level of the first inhibition level data exceeds the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data; and
channel control means for causing the receiving section to receive a broadcast signal of a substitute channel in place of the inputted channel when the inhibition level of the first inhibition level data exceeds the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data.
With this configuration, when the received channel is unacceptable or to be rejected for its viewing, the receiving channel is automatically changed to another channel. Accordingly, in this state, a program to be acceptable is received. Therefore, when the received channel is unacceptable, there is no need of any manual operation to change the receiving channel to another channel.
In the device, the substitute channel is selected from a group of channels receivable by the receiving section.
With this configuration, when a received channel is unacceptable, it is changed to one of the channels of the of xe2x80x9creceivable channel groupxe2x80x9d. Accordingly, when the received channel is unacceptable, there is no need of any manual operation to change the receiving channel to another channel.
In this device, the broadcast signal of the substitute channel includes third inhibition level data indicative of a level of unsuitability rating of a program thereof, and the substitute channel having the third inhibition level data the inhibition level of which is lower than the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data is searched in a predetermined order.
Accordingly, when an unacceptable channel is received, the channel control means continues the channel changing till an acceptable channel is received. Therefore, an acceptable channel can reliably be received.
The device further comprises channel storage means for storing substitute channel data indicative of a preset substitute channel to be selected. The channel control section selects the substitute channel stored in the channel storage means when the inhibition level of the first inhibition level data exceeds the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data.
Accordingly, a channel having less chance that it will be unacceptable may be received by merely selecting those channels which transmit broadcasting programs having no or less chance of exceeding the predetermined unsuitability rating level for the channels to be received. Accordingly, when an unacceptable channel is received, the receiving channel can reliably be changed to a channel having a less chance that it will be unacceptable.
The device further comprises display means for indicating the channel change according to the program-viewing inhibition.
Accordingly, when the input channel is changed to another channel since the former is unacceptable, the change of the channel is displayed. Accordingly, the video signal receiving device informs the viewer that the receiving channel is different from the designated one.
In the device, the display means superposes a message indicating the channel change according to the program-viewing inhibition onto the display signal.
Accordingly, a message is displayed by a display device which displays a receiving image. And hence there is no need of using an additional display device.
In the device, the receiving section includes a first receiving circuit and a second receiving circuit, the device further comprises:
auxiliary channel control means for causing the second receiving circuit to receive the inputted channel when the first receiving circuit is caused to receive the substitute channel; and
auxiliary judgement means for judging whether the inhibition level of the first inhibition level exceeds the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data when the first receiving circuit is caused to receive the substitute channel. The judgement means continues to judge the inhibition level of the third inhibition level data exceeds the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data when the first receiving circuit is caused to receive the substitute channel.
With this confiruraation, the device can properly respond to a case where the unacceptable state is changed after the first channel change.
In the device, the auxiliary channel control means causes the receiving section to output a signal derived from the second receiving circuit as the display signal when the auxiliary judgement means judges that the inhibit level of the first inhibition level data is lower than the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data.
With this confituration, in a case where the unacceptable state of the input channel is removed during the reception of the changed channel, the receiving channel is automatically changed from the changed channel to the input channel. Accordingly, when the unacceptable state of the input channel is removed, no operation to return the changed channel to the input channel is required.
The device further comprises auxiliary display means for causing the receiving section to output a signal derived from the first receiving circuit as the display signal when the auxiliary judgement means judges that the inhibit level of the first inhibition level data is lower than the inhibition level of the second inhibition level data, and for superposing a message indicating that the input channel is not inhibited from viewing onto the display signal. The auxiliary channel control means causes the receiving section to output a signal derived from the second receiving circuit as the display signal when an instruction for returning to the inputted channel is inputted to the input section in response to the message superposed by the auxiliary display means.
With this configuration, in a case where the unacceptable state of the input channel is removed during the reception of the changed channel, a message that the input channel is now acceptable is visually presented. In this state, when the input portion is operated, the receiving channel is changed to the input channel, while when it is not operated, the changed channel reception continues. Accordingly, when the unacceptable state of the input channel is removed, it is possible to judge whether or not the present channel is to be changed to the input channel.